Emergency light or torch no. 1



June 14, 1938. c. LINHARDT, JR

EMERGENCY LIGHT" OR TORCH NO Filed Feb. 6, 1937 Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECEE 2,120,523 s L T EMERGENCY LIGHT on 'roaonfiv'o. 1' Charles Linhardt, Jr., BaltimoralVI d. Application February 6, 1937, Serial No; "124,451

1 Claim. (01. 48--35)".H V 4 My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a gas emergency light or torch No. l, efiicient to operate, and one that can be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low 5 cost.

A further object of my invention is the provision of an emergency light or torch which may be conveniently and safely stored without any material deterioration and one which may be quickly put in operative position and in which the light will burn for a considerable length of time after the light has been ignited.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an emergency light or torch provided 15 with a porous tube on its interior which will prevent the mushy detritus of spent carbide from clogging or choking the water entrance to the casing.

A still further object of the invention is the 20 provision of an emergency light or torch having a gas making chamber, a water conveying entrance into said chamber and a means surrounding the water entrance to prevent said entrance from becoming clogged by the spent carbides con- 25 tained within the casing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the accompanying drawing, and claimed.

In the drawing,

Figure l is a side elevational outside view of my improved emergency light or torch, as made in accordance with this invention;

35 Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 4 is an inverted or bottom plan View of the invention.

40 Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates a casing and is preferably formed of a cylindrical shell of metal or like material suitable for the purpose, having a bottom portion 6 and a top portion 1, all soldered or welded together to 45 form a unitary water tight receptacle, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

To maintain the casing in a buoyant upright position, I provide the bottom portion 6 with an annular weight member 8 and I locate the same 50 centrally of said bottom portion so as to assure a vertical position of the casing at all times when in water.

The bottom portion 6 is provided centrally with an opening 9, through which water is adapted to pass when the device is submerged, and surroundcal ing this opening 9 onthe interior of the bottom portion 6 is a perforated supporting boss Ill. This boss It! has secured thereto, the lower end of a perforated tube II and its free end extends upwardly into the casing 5 terminating adjacent 5 the central portion thereof. The extreme upper end of the perforated tube I l is folded back upon itself, as at l2, to constitute a closure therefor.

The purpose of this tube is to permit the water entering the opening 9 to pass up through the 10 perforations of the boss I0 into and out through the tube II into the casing 5, and there the water will mingle with suitable carbide A, which has been previously placed in the casing 5 about the tube H.

Secured over the opening 9 in the bottom portion 6 and closing the same is a removal tab I3, which has one end free constituting a handle I4. This tab is secured to the bottom 6 over the opening 9 so as to form a normal air and water tight seal until it is stripped therefrom by grasping the handle portion l4 and tearing it from the bottom portion 6. This action is accomplished prior to placing the casing in water and by virtue of removing this tab I3 water is permitted to enter opening 9, perforations of the boss I0 through tube ll into the carbide A, which immediately generates gas that travels towards the top I.

The carbide A is placed in suflicient quantity in the casing 5 so as to leave a gas chamber [5 between the carbide A and top 1, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

The top member I is provided centrally with perforations t6, constituting gas escapement openings and they are preferably closed by a removable cap ll removably sealed thereto in a normal air and water tight condition. The cap H is provided in one end with a removing ring it, which permits this cap to be torn quickly from the top I when the device is placed in use.

Secured to the inner side of the top and about the openings It is a bafile l9, which is for the purpose of preventing the flames from backfiring into the gas chamber 15, specific details of construction will be more fully described in my copending application executed and filed as of even date herewith.

The operation of the device is approximately as follows+when it is desired to use the emergency light or torch,.it is only necessary to remove the tab I3 and cap I! by tearing them from their respective top and bottom of the easing 5, placing the casing in a container of water and by virtue of the water it will immediately assume an upright position and water passing through opening 9 and openings of the tube I I will mingle with the carbide A and the gas generating therefrom Will slowly rise to chamber l5, passing through screen l9 and openings l6, where it is ignited and by virtue of this a continuous flame will be ignited for a considerable length of time at a comparatively small cost.

It is also to be understood that the approximate pressure of the gas in chamber I5 will be between five and seven pounds and when it reaches the maximum point the flow of water that various changes might be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts which could be used without departingfrom the spirit of my invention and I do not mean to limit the invention to such details except as particularly pointed out in the claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

An emergency light comprising a casing, a top and bottom hermetically sealing the ends of said casing, said bottom provided with an opening, a perforated boss surrounding said opening on the interior of said bottom, a perforated tube having one end closed and its free end secured to and surrounding said boss, said tube terminating into and adjacent the central portion of said casing so as to prevent the spent carbide from clogging or choking said Water openings in the boss and bottom of the casing, said top provided with an outlet gas opening, and means to close the gas and water openings of the top and bottom, respectively.

CHARLES LINHARDT, JR. 

